The Chinese and Russian navies on 19 September 2016 concluded Joint Sea-2016, eight days of naval exercises, in the South China Sea.
• The Joint Sea-2016 was launched as a sign of growing cooperation between their armed forces against the backdrop of regional territorial disputes.
• The exercises was conducted following a spike in tensions after Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected China’s claims in the South China Sea and slammed it for causing environmental damage there.
• The Joint Sea-2016 included ships, submarines, ship-borne helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, along with marines and amphibious armoured vehicles who will conduct live-firing exercises.
• Tasks included defensive and rescue drills, anti-submarine exercises and the simulated seizure of an enemy island by marines from both sides.
• Compared with previous years, the 2016 drill focused more on confrontational capacity such as surface warships, submarines and land-based defences.
• It was also the first time the China-Russia joint exercise had been held in the South China Sea.